| Plantar Fasciitis -
Heel and Arch Spurs |
|
DEFINITION
– Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation of the
Plantar Fascia. The Plantar Fascia is a ligament that
runs on the bottom of the foot connecting the heel bone
to the ball of the foot. It supports the arch and can
become inflamed due to excessive stretching. This common
foot pain is often felt near the inside of the foot
where the heel and arch meet. The pain is often acute
first thing in the morning after getting out of bed
or after a long rest and tends to subside within a few
minutes of weight bearing. Often the pain is described
as “moving around”.
CAUSES –
Plantar fasciitis is generally due to walking gait abnormalities.
When walking, many people have their feet rolling in
(also called “excessive pronation”). When
the foot pronates, the arch structure collapses, which
stretches the plantar fascia and places too much stress
on the heel bone or the ball of the foot where the plantar
fascia is attached to. Over time these tractional forces
can result in inflammation of the fascia and surrounding
tissue, thus causing pain in the arch, heel or ball
of the foot. The heel bone may sometimes respond by
developing a bony growth in its middle, called “heel
spur”. Plantar fasciitis is the forerunner to
a heel spur.
TREATMENT
Plantar fasciitis may be temporarily
relieved by anti-inflammatories, but consulting a podiatrist
is essential to treat the problem at the root. Plantar
fasciitis is best treated by neutralizing abnormal foot
pronation with the help of custom orthotics also called
“arch supports”. As their name indicates,
they will give controlled support to the arch. The amount
of support necessary will differ from one person to
the other and a podiatrist will be best able to measure
the exact amount of support necessary for each individual.
  In
the beginning, when wearing the orthotics, the muscles
and ligaments of the feet and whole body need to get
used to the new correct position of the feet. To do
this smoothly, the wearing time of the orthotics needs
to be gradually increased over a 1 week period. Orthotics
need to be worn between 75 and 80% of the time when
weight bearing to be effective and it will take approximately
3 months for the body to be fully used to the new correct
position of the feet. Learn
more about orthotics on the orthotics page.
For any questions about flat
feet, orthotics, or our treatment procedures, give
us a call.
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